I'll Hold My Breath
by Nautical Paramour
Summary: Hermione is reading a romance novel, and is embarrassed to let anyone else see what she's reading. Unfortunately, Remus's curiosity gets the better of him. When they both touch the book, they get sucked into it's pages, forced to live through the plot. Remus/Hermione. Post War, EWE, AU. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Here is a little short story that will be about six chapters, probably 20k words, a la Little Bit. It's a take on the stuck in a book trope and the pairing is Hermione/Remus. The title comes from the song I'll Hold My Breath by Ellie Goulding. I have written the first three chapters, and I plan to update at least once a week.

I would love to know what you thought of the first chapter! Be on the lookout for chapter two soon!

* * *

The library at Grimmauld Place was by far one of Hermione Granger's favorite places. She would maintain that it was the biggest reason why she'd moved back into Grimmauld Place when Harry had offered after the war.

It certainly had nothing to do with Remus Lupin living there.

She _had_ been hesitant to move in with Harry and Ronald, not wanting to spend all of her time picking up after them, and dealing with their general laziness. It wasn't until Harry had said those magic words that she'd changed her mind. "Sirius says that you can redecorate the library however you like."

"Sirius?" She asked, surprised that he would have any part in the decision making process. He'd left the townhouse to Harry when he died - falling through the veil. They'd hit a very welcome snag in inheritance when Sirius came tumbling back out of the veil upon the death of Bellatrix. "I thought he'd never want to live in Grimmauld Place again."

"Well, he's decided he wants back in, banish old demons and things like that. He's going to be changing a lot of things of course." Harry had told her with a shrug. "And Remus will be living there as well."

Hearing Remus's name did send a little shiver of excitement up and down her spine. She put on a sigh like it was a big trouble to her. "Alright Harry, but only if you promise to go couch shopping with me. I swear those old couches are the same ones from when Sirius's mum was a child." She did bite her lip, thinking about what people would say about her living in such a bachelor pad.

She'd be embarrassed to admit it, but she'd had a little crush on the pensive werewolf since her third year. After learning that Gilderoy Lockhart was a fraud, she promised herself to never get hung up on a teacher again. But then she'd met Professor Lupin and he'd protected them on the train...

Her crush had only grown from there. She could tell that he was hiding _something_ and that made her watch him all throughout his lectures. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that he was a werewolf. Even that knowledge didn't deter her. Why should it? He was a perfectly lovely human every night of the month but one.

She'd been absolutely gutted when he had to leave the school when the nature of his condition came out. Hermione wasn't only upset that her favorite teacher - and he was her favorite purely because of the lively and interesting coursework he'd provided them - wouldn't be back to teach again, but because of the wizarding world's reaction to the fact that he was a werewolf.

Hermione had thought that she was over her crush had waned over the following year, but moving back into Grimmauld Place the summer before Fifth Year had reignited the flames. Seeing him laughing with Sirius made her chest tighten. She couldn't imagine the two of them being friends in school. Sirius was so cheeky and Remus - he'd told her to call him Remus - seemed to be a bit of a rule follower. She couldn't have been more wrong, as the pair of them seemed to get up to plenty of antics, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Weasley and to the delight of Fred and George.

The only thing that made staying at Grimmauld Place awful was seeing the budding relationship between Nymphadora Tonks and Remus grow. Hermione was on the cusp of sixteen and everything seemed much more intense than it actually was, looking back on things. There was more than one time that she would cry herself to sleep in the room that she shared with Ginny.

If Ginny was aware of the real reason why she was crying, the redhead never mentioned it. The one time that Mrs. Weasley had asked her about it - at the breakfast table no less, in front of everyone! - she just lied and said she was missing Viktor Krum. Mrs. Weasley's lips had pursed together in consternation, but didn't say anything.

Still, Remus and Tonks' relationship was doomed to failure, and quickly fizzled out. It seemed that Remus just couldn't understand why someone would want an old, shabby, werewolf (his words) like him, and he let Tonks know he just didn't see things going anywhere. It had given Hermione's heart a little surge of hope that she might have a chance with him.

Of course the thought that Remus might burst into the library one day and tell her he had feelings for her seemed a little preposterous, it was still one of Hermione's favorite fantasies. What would his lips feel like against her own? She'd only kissed one boy.

By the time that she got through sixth year, things seemed so hopeless that she tried not to think of Remus that much, as she knew a relationship was impossible. He _had_ danced with her at Bill and Fleur's wedding, which was lovely, but brief. She still remembered how his chest had felt like a firm wall of muscle against her own. She hoped that he hadn't felt her heart beating wildly against him.

But then, they were attacked and the bleak reality sunk in again. She might not survive the war. It was a very real possibility. Her survival wasn't nearly as important as ridding the war of Voldemort. Her and Ron had grown closer during that time, but she was positive now that it was just a symptom of proximity.

They had kissed quite passionately after destroying Hufflepuff's Cup and had spent a weekend together, only to find that the passion fizzled quite quickly, and sex as friends just didn't feel right. It was fine with her, and they remained friends, though, things had been a bit awkward for a while, until Ron began dating Lavender Brown again.

Her crush on Remus came back like a raging river when she saw him at the first post war celebration party. Had he always looked so rugged and handsome? He looked strong and powerful, and Merlin, just looking at him had made shivers race up and down her spine and her legs clench together in a desperate search for friction.

Now that Hermione _lived_ with Remus though, things had gotten out of control. She didn't think that seeing him do such simple things could seem so sexy to her. She loved discussing creature rights with him - they both had joined the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures after the war, Remus as a liaison to the various werewolf packs of Britain, and Hermione as an advocate for fair regulation.

They frequently got into long discussions that lasted well into the night, over glasses of wine, about the best ways to tackle and roll back many of the antiquated laws on the books. His eyes would turn progressively more and more amber from his usual green. Hermione would sometimes find herself staring into his eyes, mouth slightly open, wondering if his eyes would change that way during sex, only to catch herself.

She was fascinated by his bare feet when he would get up in the morning to make coffee, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was quite a tall man, nearly a whole foot taller than her, and his feet were equally proportional. She couldn't help but wonder if other parts of him were just as proportional. Sometimes he would turn and catch her staring, a confused look on his face.

The worst was the time that she had caught him in the hallway, fresh out of the shower, wearing just a towel, slung low around his hips. He'd been much more muscular than she could have imagined, with him always wearing baggy jumpers and cardigans. The muscles of his legs were firm and strong. And, he'd had a trial of hair leading from his belly button only to disappear underneath the towel.

Remus had looked embarrassed at her shocked expression, and ran a hand on the back of his neck, unintentionally causing his muscles to bunch and tighten, making him seem even sexier than before. "Sorry, I, err...forgot my bathrobe."

Hermione had just nodded dumbly before closing her opened mouth, and hustling into her room, where she flopped on the bed, hands insistently pressing into her knickers. Oh Merlin, now that she knew what he looked like mostly naked, every fantasy seemed much more realistic. She just wanted to be on him.

But, she knew that nothing was likely to happen with Remus, given that if he didn't want a relationship with Tonks, why would he want something with a bookish, swotty girl like her? So, she liked to hide away in the library at Grimmauld Place. Barely anyone bothered her in there and so it quickly became one of her favorite places.

Since the lads rarely came into the library, she was free to read whatever she liked, which usually ended up being romance novels. She had to do something to deal with her raging hormones! And so she let her mind be swept up by cowboys and pirates and vikings, which all seemed to take the form of Remus in her mind...oh, how she wished that he would sweep her up off her feet and take her back to his lair somewhere.

She would just have to content herself to trashy novels and comfortable couches for now. Harry had made good on the promise to let her redecorate the library. The wooden bookshelves that lined every available inch of wall have been sanded and restained a dark brown color. The little fireplace had been cleaned out and newly wrought metal held cut wood, and would happily lend it's warmth and ambiance to the room.

On the outside wall, there were two windows complete with little window seats, glass newly replaced to keep out the cold and let the sunshine in. There was a little desk on one side of the room, but the center was dominated by a large fluffy couch in a cream color, with a multitude of pillows to rest your head or feet on. In front of the couch was a long coffee table, the same color as the bookshelves, and a pair of chairs that matched the couch.

Hermione liked to think that it was the loveliest room in the house, but she wouldn't say it aloud to hurt Sirius's feelings about his decorating skills. She was pretty much the only one that spent any time in the room, though the boys would sometimes come in to annoy her if they thought she was being anti-social.

Remus had used to spend a lot of time in the room as well, but that had tapered off, as he began to spend more time with Sirius. Hermione didn't even want to think of why that was...maybe he'd figured out that she had a crush on him and found it too be too awkward to be alone in a room with her? She wasn't so sure that she wanted to find out.

The boys had gone out that night to the pub, so Hermione was going to treat herself to a nice lie on. She'd spend her Friday night curled up on the couch, the fire crackling in the fireplace, sipping on a nice red wine, while a viking chief swept her off her feet...

* * *

When had Hermione Granger grown up from a precocious girl with overlarge teeth and bushy hair to such a vixen? Remus had often wondered this question, and couldn't pinpoint the exact time, but he imagined that the shift had occurred sometime during the summer before the war.

She was completely oblivious to her looks or the way that they affected the men that lived in the house. Sirius could always be counted on to notice a girl's beauty, but even Harry and Ron would sometimes let their eyes linger on their friend's arse.

Remus had always enjoyed spending time talking to Hermione, even when she was a student. She was very intelligent, and she had a caring heart. He appreciated that she knew his secret about being a werewolf and didn't alert anyone to the fact. He supposed that he didn't really know if he should appreciate it or be stunned at it. Werewolves were dangerous after all.

Now, he enjoyed spending his time discussing Creature Rights with her, seeing as they worked in the same Department. They barely had any overlap in their day to day work, but she could always be counted on to have a lively discussion during lunch or afterwork.

But, ever since he'd noticed what a beautiful girl she'd become, their talks were decidedly different. Remus would find himself staring at her bright brown eyes, pupils grown larger during their passionate debates, her pink lips parted, freckles across her cheeks. She'd grown into her hair, and he would dream about tangling his hands in it, pulling back her head so that he might live love bites up and down the pale column of her neck...

She wasn't even there, and he was getting carried away with fantasies of her!

Since moving in with her, he'd quickly realized that Hermione was no longer a girl, though. She was all woman, with delicate curves and soft skin. She'd frequently come down to breakfast wearing tiny pajama shorts, or a white tshirt with no bra underneath. He could always see the dark hint of nipple through the thin cotton fabric.

Further, it seemed that every inch of Grimmauld Place had been coated in her scent. He couldn't pinpoint exactly how she smelled...perhaps notes of honeysuckle, orange blossom...or vanilla, but she was distinctly Hermione.

Merlin, he knew that he shouldn't be attracted to her...she was so young, barely nineteen, and he was just a shabby, old werewolf with nothing to offer her. She was sweet and naive. She deserved a young man who would take her out places and make her feel special. Remus snorted...here he was thinking that she would even agree to go out with him if he asked. Hermione was far too kind to laugh in his face, but he would hate to see the pity in her brown eyes.

Recently her scent had taken a decidedly sexual turn, forcing him to shift his view of her as a sweet girl to a sexual being. It wasn't all the time, but now he spent less time in the library with her because he was afraid he would just grab her and start salivating on her. Moony definitely approved of the scent and it took a lot out of him not to give in to the urge to growl.

He knew that he should get over this little infatuation, but he didn't want to just yet. It was his own form of masochism to let his mind wander to what _could_ happen, only to let himself back down to the reality of the situation. Hermione could never want someone like him.

* * *

The guys stumbled home much earlier than Hermione was expecting. She'd just gotten to the part of the book where the viking had taken the Scottish Princess back to his homeland and the tension in the story was certainly building. She looked at the little clock on the fireplace mantle, and read that it only said ten o'clock. Usually she wouldn't expect them home until midnight when the pub closed. Groaning, she hoped that they hadn't been kicked out.

She could hear them giggling downstairs, but she was surprised to hear the four of them trouncing up the stairs, slowly making their way towards the library. Hermione was annoyed when the door burst open, and the four of them spilled into her silent sanctuary. "Just like I told you - still reading!" Ron proclaimed, waving his hand towards Hermione on the couch.

Their eyes were all a bit glassy and their cheeks flushed with the alcohol they'd no doubt consumed. Hermione sniffed at their assessment of her Friday evening entertainment. "You don't see me commenting on what you like to do during your evenings." She said before waving her hand in a similar fashion. "Just like I figured - buzzed!"

Harry and Ron laughed at her, but didn't contest her assessment. She avoided making eye contact with Remus after she'd just been reading such a book, especially with him in mind. Sirius, though, looked at her in a very calculating way. "Though, I do wonder what it is that has her so focused..." He said trailing off, looking at the book she'd artfully arranged on her lap, cover hidden, and thumb holding her place.

"Yeah, Hermione, what is it you're reading tonight?" Harry asked her, green eyes slightly unfocused.

Hermione bit her lip, wondering if he was _actually_ curious about what she had in her hand, or if he was just making conversation. "Oh, I'm sure you'd find it quite dull." She said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's just a bit on Scottish history."

Sirius slumped into the seat beside her, gray eyes studying her face. He pursed his lips together and after a while, Hermione could feel her cheeks heat up under the scrutiny. "She's lying."

Hermione felt a shocked gasp leave her, and she was ready to retort when Ron slumped down on the other side of her, with a yawn. "Yeah, it's probably just one of those bodice rippers, like mum reads."

Sirius practically purred into her ear, taking her focus off of everyone else in the room, including Remus, who had come to stand behind her, trying to read over her shoulder. "Come on, kitten, there is no need to be embarrassed." Sirius said, with a huge grin on his face. "Just tell us what you are reading."

Hermione felt like a wounded doe being circled by wolves. She looked to Harry, but he was offering no help. She decided to deny it. "I am not reading a bodice ripper!" She insisted, trying to put the force behind the words so that they would leave her alone.

"It's not a big deal, Hermione." Sirius told her. "Lots of women read those, and it's not like men don't have their sexual aids either. It's all perfectly natural." She was already hot and bothered, but hearing him talk about it made her more uncomfortable. "I'm sure that Harry and Ron have probably...browsed through a play wizard. Hell, even Remus has."

Hermione felt the skin on the back of her neck tingle, and that's when she realized that it was Remus standing behind her, his hot breath covering her skin in goosebumps. He reached an arm over the couch and plucked her book from right out of her lap.

Turning around on the couch, her heart surged, seeing him read the title. "Give that back! That's mine!" Hermione insisted, grabbing the book, and trying to yank it from his hands.

The instant that she touched the book though, she felt a pulling sensation, much like that of a portkey, pulling her into the book. She was shocked to see Remus disappearing as well. Then in an instant, Hermione and Remus were gone.

The book dropped down onto the couch between Sirius and Ron. "Ooh, the _Viking's Maiden_." Sirius said, intrigued by the title and cover. "See, I knew Miss Granger was reading naughty books in the library. I told you!" He set the book back down. "But where did Hermione and Moony go?"

Ron picked up the book. "Oh, mum has one of these. It's like a couples' book - you can go into it together, experience the story line. I think they will be in there until they get to the end." He dropped it back down. "I wonder why Hermione would have one of these though? Maybe she didn't know?"

Harry smirked at his two friends. "I might not know the answer to that, but I do know one thing." He paused for dramatic effect. "Remus and Hermione are going to have to...you know...do it." Harry for one found the sexual tension between the two resident bookworms unbearable, and was excited for what he thought would be a step in the right direction.

The look on his two friends' faces suggested that they were just understanding the reality of the book.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! It means a lot to me. Here is chapter two - I would love to hear what you think! Lookout for chapter three soon!

* * *

When the portkey squeezing feeling behind her navel finally stopped, Hermione found herself in a cold stone room, with a plush looking bed in it. She looked down at her body and saw that it was draped in a pale pink gown, with a ridiculous corset, pushing her bust up. Scowling, she whispered to herself, "Not even historically accurate."

Looking around the room, she found that Remus was nowhere to be found, but she wasn't alone. A girl, who looked like Ginny, was also in the room. Realizing that she was somehow in the plot of the novel, Hermione groaned. She'd barely gotten into the second chapter of it, so she had no idea what was going to happen, but she figured she was about the be captured by Vikings.

It didn't take her long to figure out what had happened. Couple's romance novels were all the rage in the late seventies, where a couple could enter a romance novel together, but they'd fell out of fashion quickly. She'd just picked up the book from a used bookstore the other day, and she hadn't given the back a thorough read. Instead, she'd been a little too distracted by the cover model, whom she thought looked quite like Remus.

Only now, she was horrified to realize that the cover was probably enchanted to use your subconscious to fill the role.

She wondered what Remus was doing right now. He'd been more than a little bit tipsy when they'd returned from the pub, and to suddenly be transported into a completely different world without notice could be jarring. Hell, it was jarring enough for Hermione, and she was completely sober!

"Hermione?" The girl, who Hermione thought looked like Ginny, was trying to get her attention and was looking progressively more concerned.

Hermione realized that the girl looked so utterly like Ginny that she completely forgot the name the book had assigned the character. She didn't want to chance calling the character by the wrong name because she wasn't sure if it would be able to adjust. "Uh, yes?" She asked, trying to sound confident.

"Can't you hear the war horns in the distance?" Ginny asked, urging Hermione to the window. It was incredibly dark out, so she wasn't able to see anything out the window, but she could hear a large body of water lapping in the distance and without a doubt, war horns. "Do you think that the Vikings will raid the castle, as they had promised your father they would?"

Hermione remembered that she was some kind of Scottish princess, living in a castle, and that her father and been warned that the Vikings would come and take all of their treasure, because her father had boasted that the walls that surrounded their castle were impenetrable.

Hermione knew that, because the book was called _The Viking's Maiden_ that she was undoubtedly going to be kidnapped, walls or no walls, but she decided to play along. "Nonsense. You heard father, the Vikings will never be able to breach the walls." Hermione sat down in front of the vanity. "Now, come braid my hair and tell me all about the warrior who has stolen your heart."

She listened patiently to the girl prattle on about a relationship that sounded remarkably like Harry's relationship with Ginny. She enjoyed the feel of Ginny's fingers brushing through her hair, and pulling it back into a tight braid. If she was going to be kidnapped by Vikings, she didn't want her hair getting in the way.

It wasn't long though, before the horns got progressively louder, and it became clear to the two women that they needed to do something. "Oh, Hermione, what should we do?" Ginny fretted, sticking her head out the window. This time, Hermione could see the lights from their torches. "They are climbing the walls!"

Hermione looked around the room. She didn't want to be too easy to kidnap. "Come on, help me push the dresser in front of the door, so that they can't get in."

With the two girls, they were quickly able to get the dresser in front of the door, and the door bolted tightly. Hearing quite the commotion downstairs - clearly the Vikings had been able to get inside the castle at this point - caused Ginny to continue to fret. "What should we do now?" She asked, looking to Hermione for guidance.

"There is only one thing we can do." Hermione said, looking at the ginger woman. "We wait." It didn't take long for the axe to begin pounding at the door, but because the wood was so thick, it was taking considerable time to break down.

She realized that she could probably save the Ginny character from too much discomfort by having her hide. Even though it was just a part of the book, she didn't want to see someone who looked exactly like her friend get hurt. "They will only be looking for me. Hide under the bed and keep quiet, and maybe they won't find you."

Ginny looked like she was going to argue, but then the wood of the door began splintering and suddenly, hiding seemed like a very good idea. Just when she was fully hidden the door broke open, and the strong men behind it began pulling bits of wood back so that they could get into the room, only to be thwarted by the dresser. "Too bloody smart for your own good." Hermione heard the man mutter, with a chuckle.

Unfortunately for her, the dresser was incredibly easy for the Viking to move on his own, and he was able to get into the room. When Hermione finally looked at his face, she couldn't stop from gasping. "Sirius?" She asked, more to herself, but the character responded, gray eyes full of mirth.

"My reputation precedes me? Yes, princess, Sirius, at your service." He gave her a mock bow, before straightening and stalking towards her. "Now, are you going to be a good girl and come with me, or am I going to have to tie you up?"

Hermione gaped at him. She couldn't believe that Sirius was here too, but he seemed to be one of the characters as well. The book must read into your subconscious to fulfill the character roles. She wondered who else would show up.

While she was waffling, considering the magic that was involved in producing one of these books, Sirius got tired of waiting for an answer and picked her up throwing her over his shoulder. Hermione began to struggle and pound on his back. She would have kicked her legs too, if he didn't have such a tight grip on her.

Sirius gave her a loud smack on her bum, before laughing and walking out of her bedroom. "You are so feisty, I just might have to keep you for myself!"

* * *

It took Remus a while to figure out that he'd definitely been transported somewhere else. It was difficult to pinpoint because he was a little bit tipsy, and it had dulled his usually sharp werewolf senses. Everything smelled like books, which was odd, because by looking around he could clearly see he was in the outdoors.

It appeared that he'd been in some kind of battle, if the large sword in his hand was anything to judge by. It was heavy and looked to be covered in blood. Unsure of what he was doing, he decided to clean the blade off, so that he could remove suspicion from him.

He tried his hand at wandless magic - normally he was quite good at accomplishing small spells wandlessly - but he wasn't able to get it to work. He wasn't sure if it was caused by his being a little drunk or if it was due to being wherever he was.

Merlin, he wished he hadn't listened to Sirius at the pub. Why had he listened to his friend? He just had to know what Hermione was reading. He was so positive that Hermione was holed up reading romance novels, and Remus just had to know if that was true. What kind of things made Hermione tick?

Of course he knew that she _had_ to be up to something in the library because he could smell her bloody lust. Her scent would become progressively more heady and delicious. Merlin, he just wanted to press his nose against her center and inhale like some kind of bloody dog. Or, werewolf, maybe.

But he just had to find out tonight, the alcohol in his veins finally giving him to courage to figure out exactly what she was up to, and now he'd been transported here, to some kind of weird world, where he had no magic and everything smelled like books! And just why was he wearing furs and armour? He felt ridiculous.

He did feel awful about Hermione too. Just where had she gone off to? She had been truly annoyed when they had returned from the pub and started _needling_ her for information. They just couldn't leave well enough alone, and he had to keep pressing, and take the book from her hands.

Remus would be surprised if she even talked to him again in a week. He wouldn't want to talk to someone after they just kept pushing for information, details about something that she was clearly embarrassed about.

Hermione had no reason to be embarrassed about reading that kind of book, though. Sirius was right that loads of people did read them, and reading or thinking about sex was perfectly natural. He could understand that she probably didn't want to discuss it with the four of them. That was fair.

Before he could think on it much more, his sword was cleaned, and he stood, looking around the field. The sun was just coming up over the hill and was bathing the earth in it's pale blue light. A breeze that felt distinctly artificial still ruffled his hair. They seemed to be next to a boat at some kind of large body of water.

Someone who looked distinctly like Ronald Weasley came jogging up to him. "We were able to get considerable gold and jewelry from the castle. We should be able to leave shortly."

Remus didn't know what to say. Why was Ron reporting to him? Was he in charge around here? Trying not to seem like he was completely unaware of what was going on, Remus nodded. "Good, good. Shall we...return to the ship?" He offered.

Ron readily agreed and they walked back to the ship in a short amount of time. Maybe he would be able to find Hermione on the boat? Though, he couldn't imagine that she would be there. He walked onto the ship, trying to get his bearings, but didn't catch a glimpse of the curly haired witch.

It didn't take long, though, for Hermione to finally be brought to him. He was surprised when Sirius - Sirius of all people - walked onto the boat, carrying a woman over his shoulder. He recognized her scent immediately, as she was the only one who smelled like she should...he wanted to bury his face in her hair and inhale.

Sensing that they'd arrived at the boat, Hermione began to struggle again, only to have Sirius slap her on the arse again, causing her to gasp. When Remus watched his friend's hand hit her firm arse, he could barely stop himself from growling. Maybe he even did, as Ron was looking at him quite oddly.

"Alright, pet. Down you go." Sirius said before righting Hermione, who was try to smooth out the pink dress she was wearing. "Don't try to run away, now, because we'd be able to catch you easily." He told her with a sly grin on his face.

"Sirius, what the hell are you doing?" Remus finally asked, annoyed.

Hermione's large brown eyes snapped to him, finally, and he was pleased to see the flash of recognition. They'd both been looking for the other one and now they'd found each other. He could sense a bit of tension between them.

Sirius, however, broke the tension. "Now, I know you said no hostages, but I am going to make this one my wench!" Sirius said proudly, wrapping his arm around Hermione, pulling her close to his body.

Remus frowned, but Ron objected before he could. "Really? You already have three wenches back home. What's so special about this one?" Remus found that a bit distasteful. He couldn't imagine that Ron didn't find Hermione special, especially since he was one of her best friends.

Sirius rolled his eyes. Ron could never be counted on to appreciate the finer things in life. "Well, she's the princess, of course." Hearing that description, Hermione forced herself to stand a little bit taller. It seemed that she was just as annoyed with Ron's assertion that she was anything less than special.

Ron scoffed. "Yeah, but you've already got a Persian princess from our last long raid."

Sirius pouted. "But, this one's a _Scottish_ princess. I've never had one of them before." Hermione bristled at hearing that. This was not the kind of talk that she appreciated being said about her, especially when it was happening right in front of her. Sirius ignored the redhead, and turned instead to face Remus. "What do you say, Remus, can I please keep her?"

Remus was taken aback. He suddenly got the impression that he was in charge somehow in this weird situation that they'd gotten themselves into. He could help her, protect her from Sirius's lecherous advances. "No." He said firmly. When Sirius looked like he was going to whine, he continued. "I want her."

He let his eyes flicker over Hermione's face and hoped that she couldn't assess the truthfulness in the statement. He wanted her more than anything, but he didn't need to embarrass himself in front of her.

Sirius, however, grinned up at him. "Ah, has this Scottish lass finally caught your eye, Remus? She's a feisty one. Can't I help you with her?"

Remus did growl audibly this time. Moony didn't like the thought of sharing Hermione with anyone. "No, she's mine." He said firmly, grabbing Hermione by the upper arm, and pulling her against his body.

He wasn't expecting her arse to feel so lush against his body, and he hoped that she couldn't feel him reacting to her. But, he was cursed again, as she began to shift and move against him, before halting when she felt the hardness pressed firmly against her. She let out a surprised gasp.

It made him angry, so irrationally angry, that he'd been put in such an embarrassing situation. If Hermione had just been honest with them about what she'd been reading, none of this would have happened. Annoyed, he gave Hermione a warning nip on her neck, just below her ear. She shivered against him at the touch.

That just made him angrier. She was likely scared to death of him right now, what with him being incredibly possessive and pushing his sexuality on her. He was upset with himself for having absolutely no control, and mad at her for getting them into this situation. He was mad at her for not wanting him back, the way that he so desperately wanted her.

Suddenly, he needed distance from her. Stepping away from her, he addressed Sirius. "Take her and put her somewhere safe on the ship. I don't want anyone trying to touch what's mine." He said, making it emphatically clear that he would hurt whoever touched what was his. "That goes for you too, Sirius."

Sirius agreed, and began to lead Hermione away from him. "Remus, wait, there's something I need to tell you." Hermione said, pleading with those cinnamon eyes of her's.

Remus couldn't face those eyes right now, though, and so he waved her away. "Not now, Hermione. We'll talk later." He promised, unable to meet the annoyance that reflected in her face. He needed her out of his sight before he did something stupid, like try to kiss her. Later, when he was fully sober, then he could face her again.

Knowing that Sirius would do as he asked, Remus walked onto the ship, Ron not far behind him. He stood around trying to look like he knew what he was doing. Ron busied himself, giving out orders to others on the ship, before turning to face Remus again. "Ready to go home?" The redhead asked him.

Remus took a deep breath of what should be sea air. It smelled musty and stagnant. "Yes." He nodded, just wanting to go home, back to his bed in Grimmauld Place.

"Sails up!" Ron shouted to the other men on board. Remus watched the shoreline get swallowed up by the sea, until it was completely gone, replaced by ocean waves.

* * *

Hermione had been annoyed to be kept hidden away in the ship's hold for three days, without seeing hide or hair of Remus. She couldn't believe that he would just shove her away like that without speaking. Wasn't he curious about where they were? Didn't he know that she had the answer?

Sirius was the only one that she saw while they were traveling, as he would bring her her meals and chat with her, though it was all chit chat and vague innuendo. She knew that this wasn't the real Sirius, and so they couldn't have the deeper conversations with him that she'd come to expect.

Just when she thought that she might actually go crazy, Sirius finally came to let her out of the hold, and take her out on dry land. He was chatting away with her about how he was just sure that she was just going to love her new home. The book didn't actually specify where the Vikings lived, but she would guess Denmark or Norway based on the historical clues.

When she walked off the ship, she was finally reunited with Remus, and she had to push down her annoyance with him so that she could let him know what was going on. "We'll talk when we get to...wherever my home is." He whispered in her ear, sending delicious shivers up and down her spine.

Then he turned to face Sirius. "Walk with us?" He asked his friend, who readily agreed. Hermione had to hand it to Remus, that was a pretty clever way of figuring out where they were going. Sirius chatted away happily, until they were standing in front of a moderate sized house made of wood, stone and earth, with a steeply slanted roof that nearly touched the ground.

Remus opened the door, before facing his friend once more. "We don't want to be disturbed." He said, pointedly, only to have his black haired friend give him a lecherous grin, looking at Hermione once more.

If Hermione minded, she didn't say anything, and instead turned away from him and walked into the little house. When Remus came in, he closed the door behind him. "I don't know where we are, but I have figured out that I am somewhat in charge around here. This whole place doesn't _feel_ right." He told her, the sensory of their new world made his skin crawl.

"I know where we are." Hermione said confidently.

"What?" Remus practically snarled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to earlier, before you sent me off into the hold, like some kind of contraband!" Hermione said, hands on her hips. "And you didn't even stop by to see me once! What was I supposed to do?"

"Well, tell me, where are we then." Remus demanded, annoyed with her and annoyed with himself for wasting so much time trying to figure things out.

"We're in a book...the book I was reading, it must have been one of those couple's romance novels from the seventies. When we touched it at the same time, we got sucked into it." Hermione said, trying to fight the blush that had formed on her cheeks. "It's called the _Viking's Maiden_. It's about a Scottish princess who gets kidnapped by vikings during a raid."

Remus waved his hand up and down her body. "And what about this then?" He asked, she supposed, referring to her dress. He'd been trying not to stare at the enticing cleavage that was well on display from the pale pink dress of hers. "Not really in the time."

"Well, I wasn't reading it for it's historical accuracy." Hermione countered with a hiss.

"If you had just admitted to reading smut like this, then we wouldn't be in this mess." Remus pushed her. He didn't want to be trapped here, with Hermione as his only companion, constantly reminding him how delectable she was.

"If you hadn't been so nosy, we wouldn't be in this mess either!" Hermione wanted to scream. If the boys had just left her alone. She couldn't help that she was embarrassed to be caught reading a bodice ripper.

Remus rubbed a hand over his face, clearly not enjoying the situation. Hermione couldn't help but let her eyes linger on his body. He looked quite fit in his viking get up, she thought, wickedly. "Well, how do we get out of this mess?" He finally asked.

"I think that we are going to have to...just act out the plot, until the end of the book?" Hermione said hesitantly, sitting down on the little bed in the corner of the room. She hadn't gotten any proper rest on the ship, and she was suddenly very tired.

"What happens in the plot?" Remus asked, hiding a thick swallow at seeing Hermione sit on the bed. He figured that he knew what happened in these kind of books, but he also wanted to hear her say the words. Would she use coarse language?

Hermione just shrugged. "I don't know. I'd only gotten through the first two chapters."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Huge thanks to everyone who favorited or followed after last chapter! Big shout out to my reviewers: Sampdoria, Hollowg1rl, BonaFake, sln1987, twztdwildcat, Onyx Obsidian, Lilian Portia, Guest, Pwrmom2, animelover5107, and articcat621! You guys are awesome!

Wasn't going to post this until Monday, but I couldn't resist! Let me know what you think of chapter three and be on the lookout for four early next week!

* * *

Remus had spent most of the morning sulking around. There wasn't a ton of things to do in the little house, especially because he didn't actually live here. He couldn't believe that he was stuck in a book with Hermione. And not just any book but a bleeding romance novel!

Damn her and that blasted dress! Why hadn't the author paid more attention to historical fashion? Scottish princesses didn't wear corsets and low cut bodices during the times of the Viking raids. She should be covered up to her chin! And it was such a pretty pink color. He didn't think that she'd ever worn anything like it. It made her skin look flushed and his mind wander.

It was even worse because she was the only thing that smelled normal in this whole place, and it made her smell even lovelier than usual. Moony was content, but eager to get at her. Remus didn't want to slobber on her like some kind of uncouth beast. Merlin, he needed to get out of here.

Hermione finally was the one to break the tension in the room. She'd been perusing the small collection of books on the fireplace mantle, only to find all of them pretty bare. She too was going stir crazy in this little hut with Remus.

He was overpowering and all consuming. He seemed like a trapped wild animal who was going to snap and strike out any moment, but at the same time she wanted him to snap at her. She wanted to be on the receiving end of his passion, to see what it was like, what it would be like, to be with Remus Lupin.

When she was looking out the back window of the house, she saw a little stream, with a bend that was completely hidden by a thicket of bushes. It would be the perfect place to take a bath. "Remus, will you please take me to that little stream over there?" She pointed out of the window. "I've been in the same dress for days and I feel disgusting."

Remus thought about protesting, but honestly, he wouldn't mind a quick dip either. Since he hadn't been able to cast any cleansing charms without his magic, he hadn't felt clean since he'd arrived in the book. "Alright, let's go."

He lead her out of the house and they made the short walk to the stream, not seeing anyone else. Hermione quickly divested herself of the dress, but she was having some trouble with the corset. It was just too difficult to get off herself, with all of the lacing up the back. She cleared her throat, looking to Remus with pink cheeks. "So sorry, Remus, but do you think you could help me with this?"

Remus took in a deep breath. He'd tried so hard not to look at her while she was undressing, fearing his body's natural reaction to it. But now, he had to. She was still wearing a white chemise under the corset, but it was so sheer that in the sunlight he could make out the curves and color of her body through the translucent material.

Cautiously, he wrapped his hand around the wild curls that tumbled down her back. How he longed to pull her head back to expose her perfect, pale neck to him, so that he might live little love bites on her, marking her as his. Shuddering, he moved the hair to hang over one shoulder, revealing the tight laces of her corset.

He undid the lacing, trying not to respond to the satisfied little sigh she gave when the tension was released and the corset fell to the ground. "Thank you." She murmured softly, before looking at him over her shoulder. "Now, I am going to go in. No peeking." She teased, rather coquettishly, and Remus wished that she would stop teasing.

He turned away, but turned back to face the stream when he heard her enter the water, hoping to catch just a glimpse of her bare flesh. He was rewarded with a full view of her breasts, as she resurfaced, her eyes shut tight from entering the water. Her hair was glossy and sleek, pushed back over her shoulders, revealing her to him. Her pink nipples were tight and stood out proudly against her pale flesh.

Remus tried not to groan at the sight, and instead turned away, beginning to remove his own clothing, taking deep breaths and willing his erection to go away. He didn't want Hermione to feel uncomfortable or feel like he was trying to take advantage of the situation. Just as he was about to remove his last bit of clothing, he looked over his shoulder.

Hermione was staring at him, with flushed cheeks, and her mouth hung open. Merlin how he longed to press his lips against hers, longed to push his tongue to war with hers. He wanted to consume her. "I'll ask the same courtesy from you Hermione...no peeking while I get into the water."

She nodded and turned away from him, giving Remus the confidence to bare himself to the world and make the short walk to the stream. The water was cold, but not unbearably so. Still, it was definitely helping his cock calm down.

Once he'd resurfaced, Hermione swam towards him, wanting to hand him the rough bar of soap that she'd brought with her to the stream. "Here." She said, holding it out to him, using her other arm to cover her bare breasts. He kept his eyes firmly on her's but took it anyway.

Hermione really didn't mean to, but she couldn't help it when her traitorous eyes dipped down to his chest. It was firm and muscular with a bit of reddish blond hair. That made Hermione smirk a bit, as it didn't really match the dark blond hair of his head and she wouldn't have expected it. He wasn't overtly muscular, but she could tell that he was strong, and she couldn't help but wonder what it might be like to have _him_ throw her over his shoulder, and carry her back to his lair to have his way with her.

That thought sent a shiver racing up and down her spine, and suddenly, Hermione was all too aware of how close they were standing to one another. Remus was being so thoughtful and considerate, not allowing his eyes to stray even once. Hermione bit her lower lip. Maybe he didn't look because he didn't want to.

With that upsetting thought, she turned and made her way out of the water, confident that Remus wouldn't look at her bare arse on the way out. The air was cold, but the sun felt lovely against her skin. Still, she quickly dried off with a towel she'd brought with her, before putting the chemise back on. She'd need Remus's help to get the corset back on.

Wringing the extra water for her hair, she braided it quickly, knowing that there was nothing to be done about the frizzy mess that her hair was sure to become. She sat on the grass, leaving the towel next to Remus's clothes, and stared anywhere but the direction of the stream. It would hurt too much to have Remus let her down gently.

It wasn't long before Remus was also done with his bath, and he quickly toweled off and redressed, trying not to look at the gorgeous girl who was laid out on the grass like a delectable treat. Before, her dress had been _nearly_ see through, showing only the shape of her body, but now, with the sunlight and the dampness of her body, it was positively limpid.

He felt the moisture leave his mouth. Picking up the corset, he cautiously approached her. "Do you need help with this?" He offered, staring at the grass instead of at her body. Hermione smiled brightly at him and stood, wrapping the corset around her body, and settling it until it felt right. "Tell me if it's too tight." He murmured before pulling the laces and tying them off.

Hermione picked up the pink dress and pulled it over her body, covering him once again. He had conflicting emotions about that. He wanted to see her naked and bare before him, but he also wanted her to keep covered so he wouldn't have so many traitorous thoughts.

"Come on, let's get back and see if we can't manage some food." Hermione told him, before starting off towards the house, not waiting to see if he followed her.

* * *

Remus didn't last fifteen minutes in the house with Hermione. After everything he'd just been through at the stream, he's nerves were already frayed. But then, he was trapped back into the small space with her, her fresh, pure scent was overwhelming.

He was barely able to mumble an excuse before he exited the house, needing to put distance between him and Hermione, before he did something that they'd both regret.

The only problem was, he really had no idea what to do or where to go, but he stalked off in the opposite direction of the stream. He wished that Sirius was here, so that he could talk to him about his urges. He was certain that his friend would understand, and not make him feel more lecherous that he already did.

How could he be thinking these things about Hermione? He was almost twenty years older than she was, and yet...somehow it seemed like it was right. Or maybe, that was just Moony trying to convince him that it was right because he wanted to bed the witch.

The worst was knowing that they were trapped in this damn, blasted book. He knew that she said that they were just going to have to work though the plot to get out of the book, but he would be damned if he did something so stupid as sleep with her. They'd just have to figure something else out.

Sure, Hermione might be able to sleep with him one time, but Remus knew that he'd never be able to give her up. She was so suited to him, intellectually. If she were just a few years older, she'd be perfect. Or no, that wasn't right, she already was perfect. If he were a few years younger, _they'd_ be perfect. _Together_.

But then he supposed it still wouldn't be perfect, as he was a werewolf, and he couldn't allow himself to become attached to someone, someone so good as Hermione. He knew that she would say that it didn't matter if someone was a werewolf, but that was just more proof of why he couldn't have her.

Sighing, he ran his hand over his face. He really hoped that he found Sirius soon, and he hoped that the Sirius of this book had some kind of alcohol.

* * *

After Remus left, Hermione huffed and laid herself down on the bed. Honestly, she was so frustrated with that man. Ever since they landed in this book - which was undeniably _his_ fault - he'd been irrationally angry with her, like she had somehow purposefully trapped him in the book.

Being honest with herself, though, she was incredibly happy to be trapped her with him. She'd rather be trapped with Remus over everyone else. Hermione was just annoyed that he thought it was some kind of hardship to be here with her.

It made her feel self conscious and uncomfortable. Didn't he like her body? Didn't they have great conversations together? And didn't he feel the sexual tension that built between them every time they were alone? It seemed to Hermione like they had the makings of a great relationship.

She had certainly liked his body, tan and gleaming with water. He looked better than she'd imagined in her frequent fantasies, all tall and lean with muscle. She certainly liked his mind, as he could stimulate her thinking more than anyone else. The depth and breadth of conversation that they had never left her bored, and she also enjoyed talking about nothing with him.

And she'd have to be dead to not feel the sexual tension building between them. Today, when they were in the stream together, it would have been so easy to kiss him, to press her breasts against his firm chest. Would his cock be hard and pressed against her belly?

Hermione pressed her legs together tightly, wanting to rid her body of the tension that was slowly building in her center. Sitting up, she decided that she had to do something, to distract her from her thoughts of Remus. She remembered that she'd seen some kind of berry bush in the front of the house, so she would go out and pick some. At least they would have something fresh to eat then.

She was quickly able to locate a little basket, and stepped outside into the sunlight. The bush was quite large, and covered in what Hermione determined were blueberries. She began picking them, and humming to herself, popping a few into her mouth every now and then.

Even though she was trying not to think about Remus, he kept popping into her head, namely because they were going to have to fulfill the plot together. Hermione knew this meant that they would have to sleep together, even if she was sure that Remus hadn't even considered it yet. She supposed that if she wanted him, she was just going to have to show him how good she could be.

She would seduce him, and find a way to convince him to give her a chance, once they were out of this bloody book. Sure, she'd only ever had sex with one person before, and it hadn't been great, but she was sure that she would find a way to entice Remus.

As she was trying to determine the best way to bring up the topic with her werewolf friend, she was completely unaware of the man that was creeping up to her. "All alone?" A male voice cut through the quiet clearing, and Hermione whirled around to face the intruder.

Hermione was surprised to see that it was none other than Peter Pettigrew. "No. Remus is around." She said insistently, and began backing up towards the house.

He gave her a smile, showing off his rotten teeth. "I don't think so. I think that Remus left you alone, and stalked off in the direction of Sirius's. Which means that you will be alone for hours." He rubbed his hands together, reminding Hermione of the rat that he was. "Shall I keep you company?"

Hermione tried to back up more, but found that he was quickly closing the gap between them. Merlin she wished she had her wand, or something to defend herself with. "No. I'd prefer it if you left, immediately." She told him with a firm voice, hoping he'd take her request seriously.

"Why would Remus leave his new wench all alone, in an unfamiliar place?" Finally, he was upon her, and grabbed her around the middle, her arms pinned at her sides. Hermione began to struggle desperately. "Someone just might take you, right out from under his nose."

Hermione felt nervousness and fear strike deep in her heart. She didn't want to cry, but the tears were already forming in her eyes. She struggled and kicked, and eventually landed a hard kick on his foot. Shocked, he released her, and Hermione began to run, as fast as she could.

Unfortunately, he was faster than her, and he grabbed hold of her leg, causing her to stumble. Hermione grabbed onto the blueberry bushes, as he pulled her towards him, but they didn't hold up, and she was left with handfuls of leaves and blue mush. She was crying in earnest now, and decided to scream, hoping someone might hear her and come for help.

It was no use, though, as Pettigrew quickly threw his hand over her mouth silencing her, all the while dragging her away from the house. Oh, how had she gotten herself in such a terrible mess? Would Remus be able to find her?

She hated the feel of Pettigrew's hands on her body. He made her feel slimy and disgusting, and he didn't want to go anywhere with him, but here she was, completely helpless. It didn't take long before the house was completely out of her view, and nothing looked familiar to her anymore. Even if she was able to run away, she didn't think that she'd be able to find her way back. Would Remus even want to look for her? He's been so...aggravated when he left.

She had to have faith, though, that he would come after her, once he realized she'd been snatched. The only issue was...how far away would she be when that happened?

* * *

It turned out that this Sirius _did_ have alcohol, but to his disappointment, it seemed that because they were in the book, the alcohol had no effect on him. It didn't taste right and it didn't burn right, so in the end, Remus just felt silly for drinking it, and decided to head back to face Hermione. He couldn't run away from his problems forever.

By the time that he'd gotten back to the little clearing, he could distinctly tell that something wasn't right. It was too still, too quiet, too dull.

It didn't take long for him to realize that Hermione wasn't there. He wasn't overwhelmed by her scent, which was the most beautifully overwhelming thing in the book. He briefly wondered where she could have possibly wandered off to, before realizing that was silly. There was nowhere for her to wander off to, because they were in the book.

He stood there, in the clearing, confused as to where she would be, until he noticed the blueberry bush. There was a little basket, that had been overturned, with bright blue berries spilling from it. Had she dropped it? He walked over to it. Why would she have had to leave so quickly as to just drop the basket like this?

Then he noticed that the bush didn't look quite right. Some of the branches had been partially stripped of their leaves, and there were crushed berries littering the ground. Then it hit him. Hermione hadn't wandered off, she'd been taken!

Just there, in the dirt, he could see signs of a struggle, as if someone - Hermione! - had been dragged off. And clearly, she'd used to bush to hold onto something to anchor herself. Whoever had her, she desperately didn't want to be with. And Remus certainly didn't want anyone to take Hermione from him!

Lucky for Remus, he was acutely sensitive to her scent, and he was able to pick up the barest hint of her. Using that, he was confident that he'd be able to locate Hermione, and dispatch the fiend that had taken her. Remus ran off in the direction of her scent, and he just hoped that she hadn't been taken too far away.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you so much for the favorites, follows and reviews! Huge shout out to my reviewers: FraeElford, Hollowg1rl, twztdwildcat, Lilian Portia, Sampdoria, Empress Shiloh, articcat621, BonaFake, animelover5107, and Loopygirl1! You guys are so great - thank you!

I think you will enjoy this chapter...please let me know what you think! And be on the lookout for chapter five soon!

* * *

When they were done running, Pettigrew had brought her to some kind of cave. He'd tied her arms in front of her, and her feet together, and left her resting against the stone wall, with uncomfortable rocks sticking her in the back. She glowered at him, annoyed that she'd been captured so easily. "Once I get my hands on you, Pettigrew, you are going to rue the day that you were born!" She hissed between clenched teeth.

"You know me?" Pettigrew asked with a crooked grin she'd frequently seen worn by Sirius. On Pettigrew's face, though, it just looked sinister. "My reputation precedes me."

Hermione frowned. "Yes, your reputation for being an odious, murderous rat does precede you. I don't know why you'd be proud of such a fact."

Pettigrew ignored her and began building a little fire. She was grateful for that at least, as it was quite chilly in the cave, though she doubted that he was doing it for her benefit. Hermione began looking around the cave for something that she could overpower him with. So far, it looked pretty barren, except for the sword that he wore on his hip, but with her hands and feet tied together, she didn't like her chances of wrestling it away from him.

Unable to sit still like a good little princess, Hermione decided that she'd tried to goad him. "You know that when Remus finds us, he's going to kill you." She said, her voice low and as threatening as could be.

Pettigrew just laughed at her. "Oh, Remus is never going to find us. By the time that he locates this cave, we will be far away on a ship, headed back to my home, so that I can deliver you to my King." Pettigrew leered at her. "And, he's even promised me a go at you, once he's broken you in, of course."

Hermione shuddered, but wanted to keep him talking as much as possible in order to distract him. She really hoped that Remus would be able to find her shortly, because she did not want to go on a boat with Pettigrew, even if it was part of the plot. "And just who is your King?" Hermione asked.

"Why, Lord Fenrir of course." Pettigrew told her, seemingly surprised that she didn't already know. He sneered at her. "You should like him, because he's...unnatural. Just like your dear sweet Remus."

That took Hermione by surprise. She would have guessed that Voldemort would have been the main antagonist in her subconscious, before she connected the dots. The book had picked up on people from both her _and_ Remus's lives, and so perhaps, it showed that, to Remus, Greyback was a much bigger antagonist that Voldemort was. Which made sense to her, when she dissected it.

"What do you mean by unnatural?" Hermione asked, wanting to hear how Pettigrew would put it.

"Well, they are both shape changers, aren't they? They can turn into wolves by choice on the field of battle, biting and mauling the enemy. And they change unwillingly during the full moon." Pettigrew said, his eyes unfocused and looking at the fire. "I've always wondered if they fuck like wolves, too. Maybe King Fenrir will let me watch." He said with a soft smile, that turned Hermione's stomach.

Still, she found herself wanting to tell Pettigrew that she didn't care that Remus was a werewolf. That he was a perfectly lovely human for most of the month, and that with proper preventative actions, the full moon can be passed without incident. But she knew that it wouldn't make a difference to this awful little rat.

By the time that the sun had begun to set, Hermione started to get really worried that maybe Remus wouldn't show up. After all, he'd been so annoyed and upset with her when he left, that maybe he wouldn't notice that she was gone. Maybe, he wouldn't return from Sirius's until the next day, by which time she'd be halfway across some body of water to be gifted to Fenrir Greyback.

She did notice, though, that every time he heard a wolf howl in the distance, Pettigrew would shake like a leaf. It was a bit reassuring that he was so afraid of Remus and whatever would befall him when Remus found him. It was so odd to have Remus in the warrior role. Of course he was an excellent duelist, and he'd fought bravely during the war, but he was just so calm and unassuming usually that she couldn't imagine him coming in a blaze of glory to rescue her.

Which must have been why she was so surprised when Remus actually _did_ run into the cave, sword in hand. With his vikingesque warrior's clothing and the intense look on his face, Hermione couldn't help but actually swoon a bit over the entrance. She felt bloody ridiculous, but it was just so...well romantic.

The only thing that hurt was knowing that Remus likely wasn't doing this for any romantic reason, but instead, because he felt obligated to look after her. He'd always been selfless like that.

His green eyes swept the room with a kind of exacting urgency. Upon seeing that Hermione was restrained, but unhurt, some of the tension in his body left him. Then he looked to the other occupant in the room. "Peter?" He asked, slightly confused. Of course, in their real world, Peter was dead.

"Yes, I bet you never thought you'd see me again after you exiled me from our village." Peter said with a sneer. "But I answer to a new King now, and he was so very eager to hear about the new princess that you'd brought home with you."

"Why would he be interested in that?" Remus asked, his hand tightening on the sword. It felt strange to wield the sharp, deadly object, but he soon found that it wasn't much different than a wand.

"Well, you've never taken a wench before...King Fenrir thought this one might be special." Peter sneered at Hermione. "He's even promised me a go at her, once he makes her his, of course." The way that he said it so blithely had both Hermione _and_ Remus bristling at the thought, though Hermione wondered if Remus was worried about her, or that the antagonist was Fenrir.

"I won't let you take her." Remus told Peter, his voice deadly serious.

Peter just laughed. "Oh, I'd like to see you try and stop me."

Remus didn't wait for Pettigrew to unsheath his sword, instead lunging at the rat, piercing the man's shoulder. Pettigrew gasped at the intrusion into his body, but quickly got his sword out, and they began fighting in earnest.

If she wasn't so worried about Remus's safety, Hermione thought that she might have appreciated the relief that this fight probably was for her werewolf friend. He hadn't been able to dispatch Pettigrew in their world, despite wanting to avenge his friends. It was a good outlet to deal with any of the remaining feelings of Peter's betrayal.

She couldn't stop herself from gasping, when the tip of Peter's sword grazed his side, and she saw bright red blood quickly blossoming amongst the fabric. She wanted to help him, but was unable to in her prone position.

Still, feeling the bite of the cold metal must have shocked Remus a bit, because he began to fight much more seriously, his face on of pure concentration. It wasn't a surprise when his sword ran through Pettigrew's guts only moments later.

Pettigrew looked surprised, grasping the handle of the sword, but was unable to remove it. Instead, he collapsed to his knees before falling over to the side, dead.

Remus didn't give his former friend a second glance before kneeling down at Hermione's side, working quickly to undo her bindings. "Are you okay, Hermione? He didn't...hurt you did he?" He was more an a little bit disturbed by the attention that Pettigrew had paid her.

Hermione just smiled up at him, feeling warmth in her chest at his obvious concern for her. "Yeah, I am fine. He didn't try anything. Thank you so much for coming after me." She said, softly.

She watched as Remus's eyes - firmly fixed on the rope binding her legs - widened at her gratitude. He scoffed a bit. "Well, I wouldn't just let anyone take you from me." He said, quietly. Hermione thought that her perhaps didn't even realize the significance of his words. Did he mean to say that she wouldn't be taken _from him_? She certainly hoped so, and the seeds of hope in her heart that she might mean a little bit more to him grew a bit larger.

Once she was free, he helped her to stand, only to wince at the pressure on his side. Hermione suddenly remembered that he'd been injured in their sword fight. "Oh Remus! You're hurt!" She cried, upset that she'd managed to ignore the bright spot of blood on his side.

He just set his jaw tightly, before leaning down to pull his sword from Pettigrew's body. "I will live until we get back to the house. If we hurry, we can make it back by nightfall." He said looking at her from corner of his eyes. "He took you on a roundabout path, presumably so that I wouldn't be able to track you."

Hermione bit her lip. She didn't really like the idea of him being in such pain the whole way back, but agreed, deciding that she'd look at the wound when they returned to the house. Taking Remus's lead, she followed him out of the dingy little cave, and tried to keep up with his pace. He was so much taller than her, it was a bit difficult at points, but she mostly managed without complaining.

By the time that they finally spotted the little house, it was actually dark outside. Hermione was glad to be home, and they made short work of the distance between them. When Remus walked into the house, he sighed, dropping the heavy sword by the door, before rubbing his hand over his face. Just what was he thinking, Hermione wondered?

Seeing the bright red blood had dried to kind of a dark brown, Hermione knew that she'd have to be careful while she was cleaning it out. She closed the distance between them, before reaching for his bottom of his shirt, untucking it from his pants.

Remus's hands immediately shot down and grabbed her hands tightly within his larger ones. "What are you doing?" He demanded, confused.

"I am going to get a look at your wound. I want to make sure that you are okay." She said, letting her eyes look up and meet his green ones. He studied her for a few beats of silence, before releasing her hands. Hermione gently prised the fabric from the cut, apologizing softly when Remus hissed at the pain. "Go lie on the bed. I will get some water to clean it out." She ordered.

Remus decided that arguing with her would be futile and went to lay on the bed, his fingers pressing on the edges of the cut. "It's just a superficial cut, Hermione. I think that I will be okay." He said, unable to stand the feel of her fingers on the bare skin of his abdomen. She felt too heavenly, and he was afraid that he's grab her and...

"I will be the judge of that." She said in that stern way that she usually reserved for Harry and Ron. She dropped to her knees on the floor next to the bed, filling Remus's mind with dangerous thoughts. Her face was so close to him. She shoved the fabric of the shirt up, exposing his abdomen to her greedy eyes. Without looking him in the face, she could already feel the blush on her cheeks. "It might be easier if you just remove the shirt."

He decided that he must be a masochist, giving into her suggestion like he did, but he couldn't stop himself from pulling the shirt of, leaving his upper half completely bare to her eyes. Was he hallucinating, or had her eyes drank in the sight of him spread before her? Had her breathing hastened?

Yes, he decided, looking at her plump lips, parted. She shifted a bit, and then the scent of her lust consumed him. She smelt delicious, and he remembered why he'd left the house earlier that day. It was hard not to reach out and grab her when she was overwhelming his senses. And he was unable to focus on anything _but_ her.

Hermione reached out hesitantly, holding a damp cloth, and blotted away the blood that had dried around the cut. She felt her tongue wet her lips, unbidden, when she watched the muscles of his abdomen bunch and tense at her touch. He wasn't overly muscular, but was lean and lithe and perfect. She couldn't imagine anyone looking better to her. She was particularly enamored with the bit of hair that he had on his chest.

Hearing Remus hiss, she turned her attention back to the task at hand. Once the blood was removed, she could see that it really was rather shallow. In fact, a nice scab had already formed, and she was certain that it wouldn't begin bleeding again any time soon. Still, wasn't ready to remove her fingers from his lightly tanned skin.

She let her mind wander to the plot of the book. She knew, although he would resist it, that they were going to need to have sex in order to get out of the book. So, she couldn't really come up with a good reason not to just, make a pass at him right now. She wanted to have sex with him, to see what it would be like, to make Remus Lupin lose control, with or without the book. So why shouldn't she just, breach the topic now.

Hermione nibbled on her lower lip, before drawing her eyes up his body to meet his eyes. She nearly gasped, seeing his pupils blown so wide. Was that in desire for her? Gathering all of the Gryffindor courage that she possessed, she slowly made her way to sit on the edge of the bed. Remus looked confused, but just made a bit of room for her, instead of protesting.

Swallowing, Hermione met his eyes again. "I think that this is the part of the book where...you ravish me." She said, allowing a hint of a smile to form on her face. She leaned forward, her eyes fluttering shut, as she attempted to kiss him.

She was disappointed, though, to see that Remus had turned his head away, and began to sit up, trying to put distance between them. "Hermione, hold on. You aren't thinking clearly." He said, with a frown.

"Don't tell me what I am thinking." Hermione insisted, trying to hide the hurt of rejection.

"I won't take advantage of you, just because we are in this bleeding book." He insisted, just as vehemently.

This time, Hermione didn't give him a chance to get out of the kiss. She kept her eyes trained on his, while she dipped her head, and pressed her lips to his, in what turned out to be a rather chaste kiss. At first, he didn't respond to the pressure from her lips, and Hermione was worried that maybe Remus just really wasn't interested in her.

But then, he let out a shuddering sigh, and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Hermione pulled away, giving Remus a shy smile. "You won't be taking advantage of me. I _want_ this." She said, earnestly, needing him to believe.

In the end, he didn't need much convincing. Remus pushed his hands into Hermione's gloriously curly hair, pulling her down to kiss him once again. Once he felt her soft lips against him again, a bit of fierceness overtook him. He impatiently licked at the seam of her lips, happy only when she opened her mouth to him, letting her own tongue explore him with a sensual caress. It was heavenly to hear her little moans.

He broke their kiss, instead choosing to kiss her on her neck, finding the portion right below her ear to be particularly sensitive. Moony was absolutely howling in pleasure at the feel of her fingers buried in his hair, dull nails scratching at his scalp, holding him close to her.

Knowing that he should go slow, but unable to be patient after months of panting after her, he found his hand pushing her dress up her shapely legs, eager to find her heat. He was surprised to find her wetter than he could have imagined. He let his fingers trail up and down her slit, collecting some of the wetness there, before settling on the little button at the top of her sex.

"Oh, Remus!" She sighed, moaning in utter abandon as he circled her clit, driving her mad with pleasure. Still, she was eager to share some of the euphoria that she was feeling with him, and tried to push down his trousers, only to have him _growl_ at her. It didn't frighten her in the slightest, instead sending pleasurable tingles racing up and down her spine.

Hermione was wound so tightly, Remus was surprised that she was coherent enough to even keep moaning his name insistently against his ear, her hot breath making him painfully hard. He wanted nothing more than to be inside her, but he wanted her to come first. Using his thumb to keep circling her clit, he pushed one finger inside of her, groaning at the wet heat of her body. He began to thrust into her, keeping a rhythm, nearly dying at the feel of her clenching around him.

He suddenly worried if perhaps this was a terrible idea. Would he be able let her go once he'd had her? He should stop now, but them she was coming around his finger, gasping his name. He had to have her now.

It didn't take long for him to kick off the trousers he was wearing, leaving him completely bare to her eyes. If he was embarrassed by her rapt attention of his cock, he didn't make it known, instead encouraging her to spin around so that he could help her out of that blasted dress. He easily pulled the pink fabric over her head, but found he was much too eager to undo the laces of the corset. He immensely enjoyed her excited gasp at hearing the fabric rip.

Hermione was the one to remove the chemise and add it to the growing pile of clothes on the floor, before turning around to face him, just as naked as he was. Seeing her lovely body completely bare for him - his eyes - made him stop short for a second. "Merlin, Hermione. You're so beautiful." He said, his eyes trained on her straining nipples, before looking into her eyes.

She'd been so confident before, but his softly muttered compliment had her blushing, strangely shy. It was all so real for her, that her heart was brimming with tenderness. Wanting him close, she grabbed at his shoulders, pulling him against her. They both locked eyes when his cock nestled safely between her welcoming thighs. It felt heavenly.

Hermione kissed him once again, delighting at the feel of his tongue against her, loving the slightly desperate way that he was holding her. It made her think that he might want this as much as she did.

He reached a hand up to palm her breast. They were a bit on the small side, but pert, and tipped with hard nipples. She groaned at the feel of him pinching one of her nipples, sending jolts between her thighs. Wanting - needing - him to be inside of her, she bent one leg and hooked it around his arse, gasping at the feel of him pressed so intimately against her.

Remus seemed to get the hint, and used his hand to position his cock at her entrance. "Are you sure Hermione?" He asked softly, but internally cursing at himself for prolonging their joining.

"Yes, Remus. I want you." Hermione told him truthfully. It seemed she'd barely gotten the last word out before he was sinking into her welcoming embrace. Once he was fully seated inside of her, he gave her a moment to adjust. He was certainly _more_ proportional than she'd imagined, Hermione thought with a cheeky grin.

He felt amazing inside of her, but she needed him to start moving, so she wiggled her hips impatiently, delighting when he pulled out, only to thrust back in. Hearing his moan answer her own had Hermione feeling as though she were floating on a cloud. This was better than anything she could have dreamed. She was never going to let him go. "Oh, Merlin, Remus. I'm so full." She said, enjoying the sensation.

Needing a bit more leverage, Remus grabbed her leg by the knee, and bent it against her, so that it could rest on her chest. He quickly settled into a rhythm that had Hermione seeing stars, and her racing towards orgasm. She couldn't take her eyes off of his face, delighting in the slightly feral look in his eyes. She felt pride at knowing that she was able to make him come undone.

With his pubic bone pressing against her clit with each stroke, it wasn't long before the coil in Hermione's core snapped, sent her careening over the edge, her center tightening around Remus. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, and let the sensation wash over her. It wasn't long after that Remus was chasing her over the edge as well, collapsing against her, spent and sated.

After he caught his breath, Remus rolled off of Hermione, taking precautions not to crush her. He was quite a bit bigger than her, but he liked that. Hermione was not willing to let go of his warmth so soon though, so she turned and tucked her head under his arm, resting her cheek on his chest, and enjoying the steady beat of his heart. She wrapped one of her legs over his, and laid her arm against his waist, making sure to be careful of his wound.

She sighed, feeling his fingers thread through her hair, and she wondered if she should tell him just how much she felt for him. If she should tell him that she thought the crush she'd harbored for years had maybe morphed into love? Surely, he would appreciate the moment, the feelings that they'd just shared.

The soft feel of his fingers, though, had her eyes drooping shut, suddenly tired after everything she'd been through that day. Stifling a yawn, she decided that she would just tell them in the morning, when her head was clear and he would see that she was telling the truth.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Huge thanks to everyone who favorited and followed after last chapter. Big shout out to my reviewers! You guys are so awesome! Thank you for the support.

Y'all knew it couldn't all be sunshine and rainbows...please let me know what you thought of chapter five! And be on the lookout for chapter six later this week.

* * *

Pointing her toes to stretch the soreness in her calves, Hermione was trying to slowly bring herself back into the world of the living. She could hear birds chirping outside, and feel the warmth of the sun on her face, but more importantly, she could feel the warmth and comfort that Remus's body provided her.

She must have rolled practically on top of him in the night, she thought, with an amused smirk. Slowly, she opened her eyes, wanting to look at his face again, for just a little while before he woke up.

Looking around, Hermione blinked the blurriness from her eyes, before gasping in shock. They weren't in the little house in the book any more! They were actually, Hermione noted, in the library at Grimmauld Place, fully clothed in their outfits from the day before, and the fire had gone completely out. She wasn't sure how they'd managed to both sleep on the couch. That must be why she'd ended up on top of him.

Her startle response to waking up in Grimmauld Place must have woken up Remus, because when she cautiously lifted her head to look at him, he was staring down at her with those familiar green eyes.

To her immense dismay, when they locked eyes, Remus became uncomfortable, and pushed her none too gently to the side, so that he could sit up. Hermione frowned, but moved to sit on the couch next to him as well. "Good morning, Remus." She said, quietly.

Why did everything seem so awkward between them? Last night and been wonderful, and Hermione thought that they'd really connected, not just sexually, but emotionally as well. She frowned when he still didn't respond to her greeting, but she decided to push on any way. "Listen, could we talk about...about what happened?"

Remus immediately stiffened on the couch next to her. His muscles seemed so tight that if he even moved a bit he would come snapping apart. It was setting Hermione on edge, but she wanted to talk to him, to tell him how she'd been feeling.

Unfortunately, Remus beat her to the conversation. "Hermione, what happened in that book was a mistake. I should never have given into you, but you were the only thing that smelled...felt real in the whole world. It was overwhelming and I am sorry that I took advantage of you."

He stood, not giving her a second glance, as he stalked to the door of the library. Hermione still called after him, not willing to give up on him just yet. "Remus, wait! I told you that you weren't taking advantage of me. That I wanted to do it." He didn't stop, and his hand was already turning the doorknob. "Can't we just talk about this like adults?"

That did make him hesitate, but he still couldn't turn to face her. "Hermione, I think we should both just endeavor to forget that it even happened." With that, he was out the door, slamming it behind him, leaving Hermione alone in the library. It wasn't a minute later that she heard the front door slam as well.

Suddenly, everything seemed awful. Hermione sat back down on the couch, as tears came to her eyes unbidden. Was it possible that she'd completely misread Remus? She thought that...he might want her the way that she wanted him. That he'd give her...them, a chance. Instead, he'd stormed away, disgusted.

Was she so repulsive to Remus that he couldn't even bare to be near her? She shoved her head into the arm of the couch and felt the tears leave her in great, wracking sobs. She couldn't remember a time when she'd cried this hard, but then again, she couldn't remember a time when she felt so completely destroyed. Her heart ached.

She heard the door open, but she couldn't even look up, not wanting to face whoever it was. When an arm wrapped around her, and ushered her up the stairs to her own room, though, she knew it was Harry.

* * *

Remus had only made it to the muggle pub down the road from Grimmauld Place, the same one that he'd been at the night before, when he'd made the awful decision to listen to Sirius, and find out what Hermione was reading. He sat down at the bar, and ordered several whiskies, the bartender looking at him with disgust. It wasn't even noon yet, and he was already well on his way to being drunk.

He'd known, though he hadn't wanted to face it, that Hermione Granger was a woman. An adult woman. He could smell her lust, and it drove him wild with curiosity. His own attraction to her was nearly overwhelming on an average day, but being in that book with her, it had been unstoppable.

And now he was certain that he'd bollocksed up a great friendship, because he just couldn't resist sticking his cock in her! It had been primal and lovely, and he'd wanted to do it again when they'd woken up in the library, but then his logical mind kicked back in.

They couldn't be together...it would ruin her life. Hermione was kind and intelligent with a boundless passion for getting things done, and he was just a washed up, old werewolf. He was poor, and he couldn't give her the things that she deserved. Not to mention that he was probably old enough to be her father.

No one would accept them. Sirius would maybe understand, but he couldn't bare to think of the horrified looks on the faces of Harry or Ron, or the tight lipped disdain of Molly Weasley. He rubbed a hand over his face. Maybe he should leave the country for a few weeks, just while the dust settled.

He was surprised, though, to feel a rough hand clap him on the back, and a body slip into the stool next to him. "Care to explain why you're drunk and Hermione is balling her eyes out?" Sirius asked, a rare serious look on his face.

Remus frowned. "Can you please leave me to wallow alone?" He asked bitterly. He knew that it was his fault for just going to the nearest pub and not apparating far away. Briefly he wondered if maybe he wanted to be found?

"Remus, you know I can't do that." Sirius said, knowing his friend too well. "What happened between you and Hermione?" He gently prodded.

"We were in that blasted book and we had to..." He trailed off, not wanting to put things into words, because they would make it all seem more real, somehow.

"Make love?" Sirius offered. Seeing Remus open and close his mouth several times, trying to formulate an answer, Sirius spoke again. "We figured out what had happened when you two got sucked into the book. We aren't that dumb, when you put the three of us together. Harry was the one to work out that you were going to have to have sex."

Remus felt his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. He couldn't believe it! He'd been Harry's professor. He'd been all of their professor. "Yes, well, then she wanted to talk, but there is no point. I had a moment of weakness, and I would like to put it behind me."

Sirius frowned, before taking the tumbler from Remus's hand. He drank what was left of the whiskey in one swallow, before frowning. "Really, Moony? Rail whiskey?" He shook his head. "Why do you want to put it behind you? This could be great for you."

Sometimes, Remus didn't understand his optimism. "Great how? I just fucked her because Moony was overwhelmed by her scent, and she probably hates me. I've ruined a friendship, all because I couldn't control myself."

"What if everything's _not_ ruined?" Sirius inquired. "What if Hermione wants something more?"

Remus practically whined like the wolf that he was. "That's even worse, then. I can't give Hermione the life...the relationship that she deserves." Merlin, he wished he had another drink before telling Sirius this. "No matter how much I'd like to. Besides, it's not as though she'd ever like me...I was her professor and I'm old enough to be her father." He said darkly, before waving the bartender over for another drink.

"Well, it sounds to me like the poor girl has her heart broken, the way that she was crying." Sirius said, drinking the new whiskey that the bartender had just brought Remus. "Maybe you should let her decide what she wants, instead of just assuming you know."

Remus swallowed thickly, thinking over Sirius's words, but not wanting to agree with him. It felt like he knew what was going to happen, and he didn't want to make himself vulnerable for heartache.

Sirius waited a few moments, before continuing to muse. "So, just to be clear, since you don't think you'll work out a relationship, you are going to be okay if she starts dating someone else? Ron mentioned that Oliver Wood stopped by the shop this week to ask if Hermione was free..."

Remus barely heard the words 'Oliver Wood' before he started growling, which just caused Sirius to laugh out loud. "Merlin, Remus. You sure are transparent! You _are_ interested in Hermione. Don't you just want to see where it goes?" Remus opened his mouth to answer, to deny it, but Sirius cut him off again. "Okay, so if you don't think that you Hermione will work out, don't you at least think she deserves to hear your reasoning?" Sirius asked.

Remus thought about it for a moment, before sighing and nodding his head in agreement. "I suppose so." He conceded, before standing up from his seat at the bar, setting down some muggle money on the counter.

The animagus took one look at his friend's slight sway before chuckling, and reaching for a small vial in his leather jacket. "Here, you will definitely need this before you go talk with her." Remus gladly took the sober-up potion, downing it quickly.

He was dreading the conversation, but knew that it had to be done.

* * *

Harry had laid with Hermione on the covers of her bed, softly stroking her hair for ten minutes before she stopped crying so hard and became coherent enough to understand again. He felt horrible that they'd teased her so much about that Merlin-damned book, because maybe if they'd just respected her privacy, she wouldn't be so heart broken.

"I've had a crush on him since I was a third year." Hermione admitted, embarrassed and broken. "But it wasn't serious until after the war." Harry had been surprised to learn that. He'd no idea that his friend had harbored feelings for the brooding werewolf for so long. Had he really been such a terrible friend that he couldn't even tell she was crushing on him?

Of course, he'd recognized the growing - and mutual, he'd thought - attraction that Hermione had for Remus after the war. That was one of the reasons that he'd invited her to move into Grimmauld Place. He thought that it would be good for them, that they'd be good for each other.

"I've seen the way that you look at him, when you think no one sees." Harry admitted, realizing that she'd once told him something similar about Ginny, back when they were in Hogwarts together. If Hermione minded, she didn't say anything.

"I don't know why I thought that...that the book was going to change anything." Hermione murmured quietly, holding onto Harry tightly. "It just seemed like he was finally showing me that he was interested in me too. That we were connecting with one another. I had no doubts that we would make a go of it, once we got out of the book, but then this morning, he looked so horrified."

Harry, sensing that she needed a bit of a laugh goaded her. "Was the sex at least good?"

Hermione did giggle at that, slapping Harry on the chest. "Harry!" He could practically feel the blush on her cheeks, before her face transformed into a mischievous little grin. "Yes, it was actually fabulous. Very primal."

It was Harry's turn to blush. Merlin, he didn't _actually_ want the details of Hermione's sex life. Still, if it made her laugh for even a few seconds, he could grin and bear it.

Unfortunately, her good mood was quickly squashed. "It was silly of me to think that he'd want me outside of the book. Why would he want to date a bushy hair, skinny, know it all? He probably still sees me as a child with giant teeth."

Harry wiped away the tears that were beading in her eyes, not wanting his friend to cry any more. He knew that Hermione was a beautiful girl, but she'd never been oozing self confidence about her appearance like Ginny or some of the other girls they knew. "Hush, Hermione. You are beautiful. And your hair certainly isn't bushy." He gave her a true smile. "And if Remus can't see what a wonderful woman you've grown to be, then that is his issue. Not yours."

Hermione nodded, letting herself relax into the warmth of Harry's embrace. There was just something about him being her best friend that made him so comforting. She couldn't imagine having this conversation with anyone but him. It was so easy to spill these secrets that she'd been keeping for years.

Just when she thought that she was going to drift off to sleep, she heard a very tentative knock on the door. "Come in." She said, feeling like she had no energy.

She was incredibly surprised to see that it was Remus at the door, but he stepped into her bedroom anyway. Seeing her and Harry on the bed, holding one another, had Moony bristling in upset, but Remus pushed it down so that he could talk about this like an adult. "Harry, would you mind if I spoke to Hermione alone for a moment?"

Harry seemed to be fully glaring at Remus, and looked like he was about to say something to his friend that he was really going to regret. Hermione noticed this, and sighed, hating that she had to be the bigger person in this situation. "It's okay, Harry. I will be fine." She gave him a smile and encouraged him to leave her around with the man who'd just stomped on her feelings a few hours ago.

Once Harry pulled himself from her grasp, Hermione sat up on the bed, suddenly very self concious of her tear streaked face and messy hair. When Remus closed the door after Harry and set a silencing charm, she looked at him in surprise. When he didn't immediately begin to speak, Hermione was a bit irritated. "Well, what did you want to speak to me about?" She cringed at hearing the edge to her voice.

Remus made a gesture at the bed - the only available seating in the room, Hermione noted - with his hand. "May I sit?" Getting Hermione's nod of agreement, he sat down next to her, making sure to keep a respectful distance between them. He stared down at his hands in his lap. "I am sorry about the way that I left this morning." He told her, guiltily.

"I might believe you if you could actually stand to look at me." Hermione snapped at him.

His head snapped up, eyes focused on her, so quickly that she gasped. His eyes were pleading with her to understand something, but she couldn't quite identify it. "I'm sorry." He said again, earnestly. "I overreacted, and you were right. We should be able to discuss what happened...like sensible adults."

Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief. Maybe he did actually see her as an adult, an equal. "Apology accepted." She told him, lips tight together. She wasn't sure how to go about telling him that she wanted a relationship with him, when she was still a bit angry with him! Taking a deep breath, she decided that she should just speak from the heart. "Remus," she set her hand on his leg, and watched him flinch at the contact, "I enjoyed what happened in the book, that is to say, sex, with you. And, I wouldn't mind seeing where it leads us."

He looked at her like he was a kicked puppy, clearly distressed at her words. "We can't do that Hermione!" He told her, but from the look on his face, he clearly wanted more. Maybe he just wanted sex, but no relationship?

"Why not?" She asked him, rather matter of factly. Seeing his withering look, she elaborated. "Explain it to me. Help me understand."

"Well, you are so young..." He started.

Hermione's scoff cut him off. "Please, Remus. We agreed to discuss this like adults, so don't tell me I am too young. I've always been mature for my age. We both know that."

Remus sighed. Merlin, he just wanted to reach out and grab her face and plant a kiss on her lips, pin her to the bed, and...He swallowed thickly. "You just deserve more than an old, shabby werewolf. I can't give you what you deserve, Hermione." He pleaded with her, desperately, needing her to understand why they couldn't be together. The hope was both exhilarating and agonizing.

"I don't care." Hermione practically snarled. "Look, Remus, do you want something more with me or don't you?" She demanded, bluntly, needing to get to the bottom of this just as much as he did.

"Well, yes." He admitted to her, fearing for his heart. It would hurt if she rejected him, once she realized that she wanted more than him...

"Then what does it matter if I am a bit younger than you?" She asked. "I don't care that you're a werewolf, it certainly hasn't stopped me from having a crush on you for years!" She told him, before she threw a hand over her mouth, embarrassed at what she'd revealed.

"You fancy me? You'd fancied me for years?" He asked her perplexed.

"Yes, since third year, actually." She said with a small smirk. Seeing a new protestation form on his lips, she cut him off. "But that was just a little girlish crush. It went away, but...after the war, it's been a completely different kind of...attraction." She said with a blush.

"Well." Was all Remus could seem to say, a matching blush on her cheeks.

Hermione could hear her heart pounding in the silence of the room. Merlin, she wished that he would just say something. But he didn't, he seemed to be too caught up in his hands. "Well, Remus, what are we going to do about this?"

"You really want to try out...a relationship with me?" He asked her finally meeting her eyes again.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, but I don't want you to agree if you don't want to try to. If you aren't attracted to me."

Remus grinned at her then. "Oh, I am definitely attracted to you Hermione. These past few months, living here with you, have been maddening." He swallowed. "I haven't been able to think about much else, actually. Alright."

"Alright?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"Alright, let's give it a shot." He gave her a smile. "But promise me that you will let me know as soon as you get sick of me." He leaned in to give her a kiss, but Hermione turned away from him. "What?"

"While I am glad that we are...dating now," Hermione said, with a sweet smile on her face, "I think you need to show me, prove to me, just how sorry you are about the way that you treated this morning." She said, a stern look on her face.

Remus blanched, suddenly nervous. "Just tell me what to do Hermione. I behaved like a right prat, and I am really sorry." Remus said, feeling like he had a ton of butterflies in his belly.

Hermione gave him a devilish smirk, that really should have worried him. But then she pushed him flat on his back, and began to remove his shirt. "I have a few ideas." She straddled his waist, and Remus couldn't help but groan at the contact. He _really_ hoped her ideas didn't involve leaving this room for the rest of the day.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed or reviewed this story! Huge shout out the reviewers from chapter five: Fullofpassion09, FraeElford, Neon Domino, Lilian Portia, Serenite Rose, Andree 07, twztdwildcat, Sampdoria, hurricanebridgette, animelover5107, and articcat621! Thank you so much for your kind words and support!

This is the last chapter - I would love to hear what you think about it, so let me know! If you are looking for more of my work, check out my profile. I am currently working on a Theomione called Sleeper, in which Sirius and Hermione are a sleeper cell in the pureblood camp. I know some of you already have.

So yeah! Please let me know what you thought and thanks for reading!

* * *

 **And I'll hold my breath...Until you see me in your dreams**  
 **We'll stay awake beneath the trees, We'll watch the buildings turn to dust, A sky of diamonds just for us**  
 **You are the risk I'll always take, The only branch I'll never break**  
 **Those fears we'll blow them all away, we'll blow them all away**

Much to Remus's delight, he and Hermione didn't leave the room, except for a quiet scramble to the kitchens for sustenance sometime after the sun had set. He'd been torn between hoping that someone would see them, and wanting to keep Hermione to himself. He wanted to shout from the rooftops that Hermione was his...well, girlfriend. But he also didn't want Sirius or Ron or Harry to be alerted to Hermione's giggles in the kitchen and come to explore, only to find her looking so debauched and wearing next to nothing.

Only he was allowed to enjoy her kissed pink lips, and her blown pupils, and her wild, just been fucked hair, and her barely there shorts, and her white undershirts that she wore without putting on a bra. She was his, and if he had anything to say about it, it would remain that way for a long time.

But now, it was Sunday, and they really did have to leave the confines of Hermione's room. They'd both promised to go to the Weasley's weekly Sunday lunch, and Remus knew that there was no getting out of a promise made to Molly Weasley.

Still, he wondered if he could convince Hermione to share a shower with him this morning. He didn't think that he'd ever get sick of her. She was currently laying on her stomach, her bare back in the sunlight. Unable to resist, he traced his fingers up and down her spine, delighting when her back erupted in goosebumps.

She gave a happy little moan, before turning her head on the pillow to look at him, with a small smile. "Good morning Remus." She said.

Remus leaned forward to kiss her on the tip of the nose. He chuckled hearing the sound of annoyance she made, before he leaned down and kissed her - properly - on the lips.

"Now _that's_ a proper good morning." She said, trying to look at him sternly, but the effect was ruined by the smirk on her lips. "Not storming out of the library on me."

Remus felt his cheeks turn a bit pink. He couldn't believe how childish he'd been, but he had been. He was glad that Sirius had come to the bar and talked some sense into him, otherwise, would Hermione had ever given him a second chance? "As much as I would love to show you how sorry I am _again_ today, we do have other engagements."

Hermione frowned, before turning around, not bothering to cover up her breasts from his view, something that he definitely didn't mind. "Really? What plans?" She asked, confused. She could barely remember what day it was, let alone what plans she'd made.

"Well, Molly Weasley had invited us to Sunday dinner." Remus told her, smiling at her. "I would love to skip it, but I don't think that we can get out of it."

Hermione groaned, but knew he was right. "Yes, I suppose it would be bad form to skip out on that."

"Just because we have to go, doesn't mean that we can't still enjoy the day." Remus said. "I haven't had a shower since Friday, and I would love help getting my back clean." Seeing her embarrassed face, he quickly tried to back pedal. "I mean, only if you want to, of course. I don't want to push you."

Hermione rolled over and kiss him full on lips, biting his lower lip so that he'd open his mouth to her, before breaking away. "A shower sounds lovely." She stood from the bed and threw on a thin silk robe, before cracking the door. "Hurry up, while the coast is clear."

By the time that Remus had thrown on his jeans and ran down the hallway to the bathroom, Hermione was already in the shower, her long hair down her back, artificially straight from the water. Her arse looked heavenly, and he couldn't wait to get inside with her.

Getting naked again, in record time, he stepped behind her, bring his hands up to cup her breasts. Her nipples were hard against his hand, and he couldn't wait to kiss her, to be inside her again.

Pushing her forward, so that she was out of the steam of water, he pressed her back against the tile and kissed her lips, enjoying the feel of her tongue in his mouth. Lifting her up, letting his hands cup her perfect, perfect arse, he entered her again, feeling like home. He sighed, enjoying the feel of steam on his skin and the heat of her cunt on his cock. Merlin, he could just do this forever. Orgasm seemed to wash up over him, and before he knew it, he was coming inside of her own center, pulsing in orgasm.

Kissing her once more on the lips, he set her down gently, before grabbing the bar of soap and lathering it on her body, trying to hide the smiles when he found a particularly ticklish spot on her body.

Sure, he didn't really want to go to the Weasley's for lunch, but he figured that this would hold him over until they got home again tonight.

* * *

If any of their friends knew what they'd been up to - which they undoubtedly did - the only reaction they got was Sirius's raised eyebrow when they came down to floo over the the Burrow. While they got dressed and ready for dinner, they hadn't really spoken about how they would tell their friends about their new relationship. They certainly didn't want to hide it, but they didn't want to make an announcement either. It seemed too weird.

So, they followed after Sirius into the green flames and into the warm welcoming of the Burrow. Before Hermione knew it, she was being shuttled between Weasleys, all giving her hugs and asking how work was going.

She saw that Remus was being grilled by Fred and George about some of the pranks that he'd accomplished with Sirius whilst at Hogwarts, where as she was quickly pulled into conversation with Mr. Weasley about muggle culture.

Although she really wanted to be talking about something with Remus - anything really - she was happy to explain the concept of submarines to Arthur, and let him know that, yes, it was confusing that muggles also had such a thing as a submarine sandwich.

Internally, though, she was screaming. Didn't anyone notice something different about her? She'd been shagged within an inch of her life earlier that day, but no one could notice anything was changed. With her hair dutifully tamed, and a nice sundress on, she was just regular old Hermione Granger again. At least, when she glanced over at Remus, it seemed that he wanted to be talking to her as well.

When Molly called everyone around the table for dinner, Hermione was able to snag the seat next to Remus. He grabbed her hand underneath the table, and gave it a squeeze. Hermione smiled at him, excited to be in his presence again.

With the food all on the table, Hermione realized how hungry she was. She happily filled her plate with turkey and mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, and two rolls. She tucked in, ravenous, but trying not to give her best impressions of Ron. Suddenly, she noticed that all conversation seemed to be stopped.

Looking up, she saw everyone staring at her in surprise, Mrs. Weasley the most perplexed. Giving the woman a smile, Hermione complimented her cooking. "Thanks so much for dinner, Mrs. Weasley. Everything is delicious!"

Mrs. Weasley gave her a confused smile. "Your welcome, Hermione. Is...is everything alright though? You've never had this much of an appetite before?"

Hermione blushed a bright red, and tried to come up with a lie to explain her suddenly ravenous hunger, but was unable to, and was left gaping in front of the whole room.

Ron, seeing her distress, rolled his eyes, and announced to the table loudly the real reason. He waved his hand at Remus and Hermione, who really were sitting much closer to each other, now that everyone was staring at them. "They are shagging!"

Hermione didn't think her cheeks could get any redder. "Ronald!" She scolded.

"What? It's true!" Ron argued, not understanding why everyone was looking at him with shock. "Come on, even _I_ know what a silencing charm and a locked door means. And you weren't as sneaky as you thought this morning in the bathroom."

Hermione covered her face with her hands before groaning. Mrs. Weasley was the first to speak. "Hermione is this true?" She asked, surprised to hear that Hermione, who was usually such a well mannered good girl would spend a whole day in debauchery!

"Yes, Remus and I are seeing each other." She said, taking in the looks of shock around the table. "What is it?" She finally demanded.

Fred and George looked at her, equal grins on their faces. "Alright, I think we have some bets to pay out." They looked around the table. "Harry, think that you get the winnings."

"Harry! You bet on me?" Hermione asked, annoyed, hands on her hips.

Harry tried to look serious, but he couldn't stop the grin that slowly formed on his face. "Yes, Hermione. But you see, it wasn't just me who did it." Hermione looked around the table, glaring at her so called friends. "You and Remus just had so much unresolved sexual tension, that we all just figured it was a matter of time before you guys shagged each other."

"Harry-" Remus tried to scold his former student, but found he was unable to. He was just so much like James in that moment.

"Oh, come off it, Moony." Sirius said, a matching grin on his face. "You both obviously like each other, and for what it's worth, I think that you guys are great for each other." Sirius said, brushing his hair out of his face.

"Hermione, dear, are you sure that you are making the right decision?" Mrs. Weasley asked, concerned for the girl who'd become like a daughter to her. "I mean, he is quite a bit older than you."

Hermione was annoyed. "Yes, I am sure that I like Remus and I am happy to be in a relationship with him. I don't care about the age difference." She insisted.

Molly smiled at her. "Excellent. Well then Fred, George, I guess now we will just need to start taking bets on when the wedding will be." She announced to the table.

"Oh! I don't know about that." Hermione said quickly, looking to Remus.

"We only just started dating yesterday." Remus said, before frowning. "I haven't even taken on a date yet." He felt incredibly guilty.

Molly nodded, a knowing smile on his face. "Yes, of course. Let's just take things one day at a time. And enjoy dinner."

Hermione sighed, and was just glad that all of her friends accepted her relationship. She didn't know what was going to happen with her relationship with Remus, but she was just happy to see where things went.

* * *

In the year after the announcement was made that Hermione and Remus were together, they had only formed a stronger bond. Of course, there were some arguments over Remus's low self-esteem or Hermione's perpetual need to be right, but overall they were incredibly happy together.

It had only taken one month for Hermione to move into Remus's room with him - it had better closet space - much to the surprise of their housemates. The relationship was progressing faster than a lot of people had estimated.

Remus walked into their shared room, only to find Hermione lying on the bed, reading a book. He smiled seeing his mother's engagement ring on her left hand. He might be a shabby, poor werewolf - even though that was changing with steady employment at the ministry - but, he was able to give her a ring that was as rich in memories as it was in carats.

Hermione had been shocked, but eagerly agreed to his proposal two weeks prior, when they were searching an old bookstore for rare and out of print books. He knew that she thought they would never get married, because of his feelings on being a werewolf. Remus had watched her pour over bridal magazines with Ginny Weasley, planning the redhead's wedding to Harry Potter, with a bittersweet look on her face. He knew it was something she wanted for herself.

It had taken a bit of moping and firewhiskey and a smack upside the head from Sirius for him to realize that it was something he wanted as well. He'd just never really considered it because he thought that it wasn't a possibility for him as a werewolf. Who would want to tie themselves for life to a werewolf?

Over the course of their relationship, Hermione had made it abundantly clear that while she recognized that Remus _was_ a werewolf, that she saw him as much more than _just_ a werewolf. She loved him for him and his being a werewolf didn't matter to her because it was a part of him.

Molly Weasley had won quite a large pot, betting closest to their engagement, much to Hermione's embarrassment. She hated that all of his friends were insisting on betting on her love life. But really, she was too happy to be engaged to Remus, that she just laughed it off.

And, Remus had to admit, that the ring just looked like it was meant to be on her finger. Until, of course, he read the cover that was underneath the hand. " _Taming the Alpha?_ Really, Hermione?" He asked her, before sliding under the covers with her. "Werewolf romance novel?"

Hermione just snorted at him. She had cut down considerably on her bodice ripper habit, feeling that the real deal was much better than just imagining it, but she still got a title that piqued her interest every now and again.

Remus looked over her shoulder, reading the words on the page, before rolling his eyes. "You know that isn't accurate at all? A werewolf would never do that!"

Hermione huffed, looking at him finally. "When will you get it through your head that I don't read these for their accuracy? Besides, I've had sex with a werewolf before. I already knew that it wasn't accurate." She said, before a grin formed on her face. "Although, it did give me a few ideas..." She trailed off, fingering through the pages of the book, before finding a specific passage that she was looking for. "Can you do _that_ with your tongue do you think?" She asked, shoving the book into his hands.

Remus took the book happily, before reading the words on the page, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. He cleared his throat, suddenly scratchy and deep from desire. "Uh...I am not sure. But we can certainly try."

Throwing the book over his shoulder, he ignored Hermione's protests at his book abuse, silencing her with a possessive kiss. Feeling her hands on his back, quickly pulling up his pajama shirt, had him grinning against her lips.

Yes, he was certainly happy to try.


End file.
